The Thriveabetes 2018 Insulin for Life collection of unwanted diabetes supplies to send to for the UK’s InDependent Diabetes Trust Insulin for Life programme, where they send them to countries where these supplies are extremely difficult to access was a huge success. Sarah MacCann has put together another thank you from Insulin for Life. Sarah is mum to Evan who has type 1 diabetes since the age of 5. She volunteered in 2016 to collect diabetes supplies

The 2016 collection was so successful that even though she couldn’t attend Thriveabetes 2018 herself she put her husband Kieran and Evan in charge.

Here are some words of thanks and some photos on how the 2018 collection went from Sarah. I also want to extend a huge thank you to Sarah and her family for volunteering to do this on two occasions now and for reminding us that while we don't have all we want in our diabetes care we have unlimited access to insulin and test strips.

Another Thank You from Insulin for Life

by Sarah MacCann

We asked delegates coming to this year’s Thriveabetes, way back in February to bring along their spare insulin and diabetes supplies to donate to Insulin for Life. And once again, we had fantastic response!

All in all, seven full boxes – that’s two more than last year - full of spare insulin, pens, syringes, test strips, blood glucose monitors and lancets were packaged up and sent off to the InDependent Diabetes Trust, who are Insulin for Life's local partner in the UK. All the donated supplies are then sent on to clinics in Tanzania where many families are unable to afford the insulin and other basic supplies they need to support their children with Type 1.

By donating your spares, perfectly good diabetes supplies are saved from landfill and instead used to save lives and enable people living with Type 1 diabetes in the developing world to thrive in their own communities.

You can send your unwanted supplies directly to the IDDT all year round, at:
Insulin for LifeInDependent Diabetes TrustPO Box 294NorthamptonNN1 4XSU.K.

Note - If you are using a courier service please call , could call InDependent Diabetes Trust on 0044 1604 622837 for further details.

Diabetes Supplies accepted:

Unopened, in-date insulin with at least 3 months until expiry date

Unused insulin pens

Unopened packs of syringes & pen needles

Unused lancets and unopened lancing devices

Unopened glucose test strips

Unused blood glucose monitors

Make sure everything you send is unused and in-date, ideally in its original packaging. And don't forget to say that you heard about them at Thriveabetes!

More information on how to help

We still have a long way to go to achieve equality of access to insulin and diabetes supplies across the developing world. The following organisations are all working to make insulin and diabetes supplies available to all those in need of them worldwide: